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Is there any advantage in travelling from Hanoi - HCMC or HCMC to Hanoi at that time of year. If we travel HCMC to Hanoi, it puts in Hanoi in early June. I've read that the weather in Hanoi isn't the best in June. Travelling HCMC to Hanoi works better for our international flight connections.

10 replies to this topic

One day in Halong is an heresy ; it takes 5 hours RT to go Hanoi-Cat Ba and 6-7 Hanoi-Halong City + one hour to board the junk and reach the limestone peaks area, so you cruise just for a few hours. Besides, you miss the most magical; spend the night on board in the middle of the bay. TWO days/one night on board

This said, your programme misses the most stunning, the northern mountains (Sapa, Bac Ha, etc.) and the marvelous "Halong Bay on Land of Tam Coc. The South being less exciting, I would just visit the North and the Center. If you insist on the 3 regions, then you have to fly Saigon-Danang and then Danang-Hanoi, which adds to the cost

You're there for less than two weeks. It won't matter if you go North - south or south - North.

And yes, at that time, it will be very hot. And being very hot, it will slow you down when it comes to doing things.

Trust me. ;-)

Your 'day trips' of Halong Bay and the Mekong, (going to be tough fitting in a floating market in a day trip) will take up entire days. Your Cu Chi Tunnels and My Son trips will take up a good half a day. And with the heat, you're unlikely to be up for much else afterwards.

That leaves you with eight days for HCMC, Hoi An, Hue and Hanoi; which really isn't anywhere near enough; but you don't really get eight days as we haven't factored in travel time between them.

You are right, my apology ! This said, May and June are not "very hot" , basically the same temperatures as in April. However, May sees sporadic rain (at the end of the battle of Dien Bien Phu, the soldiers of both ides had water up to their knees in the trenches). June is perfect

I don't think it matters which way you go as it is only for two weeks. I would think twice about a day trip to H Bay as it is 4 hours to get there and 4 hours to get back. In both directions the bus stops at a huge souvenir market. It is a long day. You can get overnight packages for a little more than $100 (or at least 2 years ago you could )